Galileo was 69 years old and the most venerated scientist in Italy when he was put on trial for heresy in 1633. Although subscribing to an anti-literalist view of the Bibleóas per Saint AugustineóGalileo considered himself a faithful Catholic, and was even a friend of Pope Urban VIII. Dan Hofstadter, with his deep knowledge of Italy and a longstanding interest in Renaissance and Baroque lore, explains this apparent paradox and illuminates this historic moment in the widest cultural context, portraying Galileo as both humanist and scientist, deeply versed in philosophy and poetry, on easy terms with musicians, writers, and painters.